This is what a local shop put on my truck to clear a 11.5' camper with a 40" overhang in order to tow a 5500lb car trailer:


http://2fdr.com/mcrat/hitch3.jpg


http://2fdr.com/mcrat/hitch2.jpg


http://2fdr.com/mcrat/hitch1.jpg

Man that is scary looking. But whatever works...

YIKES!http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Ermm.gif

Did it work?

Why didn't they run the drawbar straight to the original receiver? Seems like three points of contact would be better than two. Interesting design, how much did they charge you?

I see you don't like blue at all. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/HiHi.gif

really scary looking hitch.

Jim

Cost $500 installed, looked much better before we drove 4,300mi (about 1,000 miles in the rain). We went to Kentucky and back 38hrs each way. The two mounts are directly to the frame, but the center one (OEM) uses the bumper. Since the camper pulls up on the bumper, you'd never get the hitch in/out unless you got the tension perfect on the tiedowns. Note the 7-pin electrical removable extension. Extra cool.


Worked like a champ. Flexed 1" with 500lb tongue weight.


Combined rig weight just over 17,000lb on a cert scale. Mileage 12.6 DIC, 11.3 calculated with most driving at 75mph.


Kids loved being able to climb back and use the potty, eat or sleep. My lard ass didn't fit through the window.


The Carson Car Trailer (Deluxe? BWHAHAHAHA!!!) is a piece of over priced crap. Do not get one of these unless it's a gift. Tires on rear axle wore out on the trip an they were NEW. Misalignment of rear axle. The electric brakes are about as strong as dragging your foot on the ground, the electrical was hooked up wrong, etc, etc.

Can you somehow attach it to the underside of the camper to help offset the downward leverage?

I see you don't like blue at all. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/HiHi.gif

really scary looking hitch.

Jim


Blue is faster. Has to do with photons coming from the sky or something. I read it on the internet, so it must be true.


The "normal" extension is a single bar 40"+ long stuck in the receiver. Didn't look safe to me. At least this one has some triangulation to it. I wanted a better solution, but I couldn't find one. Needed the camper (small kids), and needed the trailer. Next time I'll get a smaller camper so I don't have to extend as far.

Since the camper pulls up on the bumper, you'd never get the hitch in/out unless you got the tension perfect on the tiedowns.

One hopes the stock receiver doesn't flex, it is attached to the frame as well.

Can you somehow attach it to the underside of the camper to help offset the downward leverage?


The camper had a hitch mount on it, but I felt more comfortable with it connected solidly to the frame. Campers are held on basically by gravity and 4 straps.


Believe it or not, we had 50mph+ cross winds in Texas and California, but never veered out of our lane. It did much better than I thought it do. It climbed to 7330ft (Flagstaff AZ) and didn't shift outta 5th gear at 75mph. Gotta love a "tuned" Duramax. Thing is a locomotive.

Since the camper pulls up on the bumper, you'd never get the hitch in/out unless you got the tension perfect on the tiedowns.




One hopes the stock receiver doesn't flex, it is attached to the frame as well.


Yes, it's attached to both. But if you misalign a tight slip fit steel bar even a 1/16" you have to beat it in with a sledge hammer. As it is, it takes a rubber mallet to remove it. There is zero play in the assy.

I didn't mean to attach the trailer to the camper, but rather the custom hitch that was made could be attached to the truck frame as it is now, and also bolted to the underside of the camper. Similar to how the factory hitch is not only conected to the frame, but also the bumper. All the forward/backward loads would be carried by the truck frame, but the camper would just help prevent the square tubing of the extension hitch from bending downward.

Hope the shop that did that has good liability insurance.....Glad you had no problems though.

Blue is faster. Has to do with photons coming from the sky or something. I read it on the internet, so it must be true.

absolutely. Found that page also and the one with all the math. Really scary stuff. Blue is good for level 1 all by itselfhttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/HiHi.gif Pretty blue truck here also

Jim

Hope the shop that did that has good liability insurance.....Glad you had no problems though.


I just hope I can fix it with JB Weld, duct tape and hoses clamps if it breaks! ;)


<--- Team White Trash! http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif

Why didnt you just get a hitch installed on the bumper of the slide in?

It seems like Ive seen that before.....

Not strong enough?

<--- Team White Trash! http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif I seen you even have blue dumpsters, so that makes you blue trashhttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Confused.gif

Why didnt you just get a hitch installed on the bumper of the slide in?

It seems like Ive seen that before.....

Not strong enough?


Yep. That's OK for a light boat, or other 1000lb max trailer, but when you get a heavy trailer, it needs to be frame mounted.

Your car is not really heavy , but still seems like some triangulation is in order. Both horizontally and vertically. I can just see nailing the brakes in an avoidance maneuver and the whole thing folding down or uphttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Confused.gif. But good luckhttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Approve.gif

i have a carson trailer as well.. must say i was a bit disappointed..

What would be the correct way to do this?


I will be in the same situation (large camper and trailer) when I get my truck.


Brian

As far as I know, there is no "perfect" way of doing it. The setup I'm running is probably at the limits of what is safe.


Normally, they suggest you just use a REALLY long single drawbar, but personally I think that is too weak to stop the trailer from wandering.

Keep in mind this "double" setup weighs about 200lb. The dual bars go into the dual receivers a full foot. All the stressed joints are gusseted and double welded (welded, plate overlaped, then welded again).


It won't break or bend, but having the load so far from the rear axle could cause handling issues. Luckily, in my case it didn't. Probably a combination of the long wheelbase and the lateral rigidity of the hitch had something to do with it.

It would make me nervous.....

Kinda looks bent?

LOL.............. I've pulled this up three times because I just can't believe what I'm seeing. I think it's great! I see the guessets to reduce the rombus but what about the compression at the hitch? Did they make the two inserts out of solid steel?

I have a 11.5' slide in camper as well. I use a Torklift superhitch. With a 48" extension bar, it's rated at 500 hitch/5000 trailer weight. With a weight distributing setup, it will go up to 1000/10,000. I really like mine, check them out here:

Torklift Superhitch (http://www.torklift.com/super_hitch.htm)

The reciever part that replaces the factory unit is a massive piece of steel. You can get extension bars in a variety of sizes between 21" and 48". The trailer in my setup below is around 4000 lbs and I don't have any problems with sway at all.


http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/uploads/879_1a.jpgEdited by: dndj

It would make me nervous.....

Kinda looks bent?


It has rise to it to increase clearance on driveways.